TGIF: Movie capsules for the week beginning Feb. 28

“ABOUT LAST NIGHT” — In the 1980s, when “About Last Night . . . ” came out, it quickly became a cinematic signifier for its era, the ultimate chronicle of youthful romantic anxiety and gamesmanship, starring the avatars of their generation, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe. Nearly 30 years on, the year-in-the-life rom-com has been spruced up and given some timely punch, even though its cliches — of commitment-phobic men and needy women — are hoarier than ever. The action has been transported from Chicago to Los Angeles, where Daniel (Michael Ealy) and Debbie (Joy Bryant) meet after their respective best friends drag them along on a drunken double date. soon they’ve embarked on an affair that may or may not lead to something more serious, as they work out just how love, sex and relationships fit together beyond the throes of bedroom passion. Ealy and Bryant slip into their roles with ease, and “About Last Night” possesses the surface sheen and escapist prettiness that may be the first prerequisite of any successful romantic comedy. What isn’t so great is director Steve Pink’s tendency to cut-cut-cut back and forth within scenes, presumably to infuse visual interest into what is essentially a series of pictures of people talking. As a remake of “About Last Night,” this version is the remake of an adaptation of David Mamet’s one-act play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago,” but the dialogue doesn’t bear the playwright’s signature bite or flair. It’s vulgar and sexually graphic, but not particularly observant. The biggest surprise of “About Last Night” is the chemistry between Kevin Hart and Regina Hall, who, as the central couple’s best friends, steal the movie whenever they’re on screen. Caustic, profane and propelled by hysterically pitched improvisatory brio, the two grow funnier as the movie wears on — to the point that, after years of not understanding Hart’s appeal, this viewer is finally, maybe, starting to get it. R. 1 hour, 40 minutes. 3 stars
“AMERICAN HUSTLE” — Movies typically start at the beginning of the story and move forward in traditional linear fashion. Some, though, start at or near the end and then taking us back to tell us how we got there. The great new drama “American Hustle,” however, starts somewhere in the middle. We know that Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale), Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) and Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) all know each other, but we don’t know how well. We know the situation in which they find themselves is tense and that it’s important that things go well, but we don’t really know why. In these first few excellent minutes, director David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “The Fighter”) and his co-writer, Eric Singer, establish that Irving and Richie don’t exactly like each other and that Sydney is caught in the middle. We soon go back and learn how our three main players came together. Irving and Sydney meet at a party, and not long after Irving shows Sydney what he is: a con man. A good one. Seemingly upset by this revelation at first, Sydney throws herself into Irving’s business, promising fictional loans to high-risk applicants and charging them $5,000 for the supposed legwork. Irving’s business skyrockets, Sydney using her British accent to convince suckers she has ties to a major financial institution in London. But then they run into Richie, an ambitious undercover FBI agent who arrests Sydney because it is she, not Irving, who accepts a check from him. Richie cuts a deal with them: Help him make a few high-profile corruption busts and they avoid prison. Sydney wants to run away with Irving, but he has an unbalanced wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), caring for his young adopted son, who is the reason he refuses to just disappear with Sydney. So the pair reluctantly give in to Richie, who soon is setting his eyes on bigger and bigger targets, much to the disapproval of the cons. There truly isn’t a minute when “American Hustle” isn’t thrilling or interesting or compelling or hilarious. Sometimes it’s all of those things, and that’s a real credit to Russell, who’s at the top of his game. It’s hard to credit Russell too much with all the terrific performances in “American Hustle,” as the producers put together one heck of a cast, but Russell certainly didn’t get in the way. Bale rebounds from a mildly disappointing turn in the recen “Out of the Furnace” to make us fully invest in Irving. Adams is likewise wonderful, masterfully keeping from us guessing as to where her heart truly resides much of the time. Has she really had it with the married crook Irving and fallen for Richie or could she be running a con herself? You just won’t know for a while. The “Silver Linings Playbook” costars Cooper and Lawrence, who share little to no screen time, are both fantastic, as well. We get more of the curly haired Cooper, who is so funny so often in this movie, than of Lawrence, but the talented actress makes the most of her limited role.“American Hustle” offers so much — from late-’70s hairstyles fashion and music to comedian Louis CK as Richie’s tormented boss — that it has to be in the discussion for the best film of the year. Being conned has seldom been this fun. R. 2 hours, 9 minutes. 4 stars
“AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY” — Take the most tense family dinner you’ve had and multiply it by 10. Now you have some idea what’s in store when the outstanding big-screen adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “August: Osage County” reaches its centerpiece scene. To be fair, the Westin family has been through a lot by the time its members sit for a post-funeral meal in the dining room of Beverly (Sam Shepard) and Violet (Meryl Streep). Still, the worst is yet to come. Directed by TV veteran John Wells (“ER,” “Shameless”) and written by the playwright, Tracy Letts, the movie is, like Letts’ play, a tornado of emotions, moments both funny and dramatic and exquisite dialogue and one-liners. An excellent touring version of the play came through Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare in 2010, and the movie is maybe just a small step below that production. “August: Osage County” takes place mostly in the Westins’ home. Soon, there are many Westins in the home, converging there after Bev disappears from the house and is not been seen for days. Daughter Ivy (Julianne Nicholson), having never left Oklahoma, is already there, soon to be joined by her sisters, Barb (Julia Roberts) and Karen (Juliette Lewis). Barb has brought her husband, Bill (Ewan McGregor), with whom she’s obviously having difficulties, and 14-year-old daughter, Jean (Abigail Breslin); Karen is paired with her new fiance, Steve (Dermot Mulroney), who will be marrying for the fourth time. They are also joined by Vi’s sister, Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale), her husband, Charlie (Chris Cooper), and, eventually, their son, Charles (Benedict Cumberbatch). Myriad inter-family dynamics and conflicts reveal themselves, but the greatest focus of Letts’ story is the fiery relationship between Vi and Barb. Barb left for Colorado with Bill years ago, and Vi tells her that, as Bev’s favorite, it devastated him, laying on a heaping helping of guilt. For her part, Barb isn’t afraid to fire back at her mother. When we get to the aforementioned dinner, it’s time for some “truth-tellin’,” as Barb puts it, as she lays into Barb — and everyone else at the table, for that matter. The performances are strong across the board, but it is Roberts and, especially, Streep who are amazing. “August: Osage County” probably is best suited for the stage, but Wells does a fine job moving it to the screen. R. 1 hour, 59 minutes. 3.5 stars
“FROZEN” — Instead of the bygone damsels in distress — yes we’re talking about you Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty — the female royals of “Frozen,” Disney’s latest animated wonder, are feisty, forward and independent. Strong female leads are fitting, as “Frozen” marks the first time a female has occupied the director’s chair in the 76 years of Disney animation features. Jennifer Lee, who wrote Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” as well as the screenplay for “Frozen,” co-directed the icy 3-D adventure with Disney veteran Chris Buck (“Tarzan”). Inspired by the 19th-century fairy tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen, “Frozen” marks another Disney film modernizing one of the Danish author’s stories. “The Little Mermaid” also adapted an Andersen fable. Rich in magic, perils and family ties, “Frozen” encourages us to embrace our fears, overthrow our inhibitions and find the true meaning of love. Set in the kingdom of Arendelle, sisters Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) are best friends who love to play in the snow. Luckily big sis Elsa can create ice and snow with her bare hands. When Elsa accidentally zaps her sister with her sorcery during playtime, Anna is almost killed. Since their daughter can’t control her power, the king and queen send Elsa to her room and isolate her from her sister. But the girls are left alone when their parents die in a shipwreck. Dauntless optimist Anna tries, for years, to get her sister to come out of her room. “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” Anna sings. But Elsa, afraid of hurting her sister again, remains locked away. That is until she turns 18 and is now fit to be queen. On her sister’s coronation day, Anna is excited to finally have a house full of people. She even plans to keep her eyes peeled for the possible swoon-worthy suitor. Like clockwork, he comes in the form of the handsome Prince Hans of the Southern Isles (Santino Fontana). Anna falls instantly, and the two become engaged. Anna’s impulsive behavior enrages her big sister, which results in Elsa freezing the kingdom. Disgusted with the continued lack of control over her sorcery, Elsa flees up the mountain and builds her own ice palace. On a quest to bring her sister back, Anna teams with the uncouth, ice-selling Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), who has a lovable pet reindeer named Sven. Anna is able to convince Kristoff that if he helps her up the mountain, summer will return and he’ll be back in the ice business. She hooks him further when she saves them from a pack of wolves. The animation in “Frozen” is premium, and the 3-D earmark adds to the pearly appeal of the ice and snow, but we are lacking in the sweeping romance we’ve grown accustomed to in a Disney princess movie. PG. 1 hour, 48 minutes. 2.5 stars
“THE LEGO MOVIE” — There are so many things to like about “The Lego Movie”: a great voice cast, clever dialogue and a handsome blend of stop-motion and CGI animation that feels lovingly retro, while still looking sharp in 21st-century 3-D. But the best thing about this movie, which was produced in full partnership with the Danish toymaker famous for its plastic-brick building system, is its subversive nature. While clearly filled with affection for — and marketing tie-ins to — the titular product that’s front and center, it’s also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor. Once celebrated for fostering creativity through simple yet versatile sets that could be combined into a wide variety of structures — a barn, a boat, a plane — the 80-year old Lego company is probably best known today as a purveyor of narrowly proscribed model kits with hundreds of highly specialized pieces designed to replicate, in meticulous detail, say, the A-wing starfighter from “Star Wars,” and nothing else. The most essential item of the modern Lego set has become, unfortunately, the instruction booklet. Thankfully, and somewhat surprisingly, “The Lego Movie” takes dead aim at this disturbing trend, undermining, with delightful results, the hegemony of a creative toy that comes with its own set of inflexible rules. “The Lego Movie” is an homage to the spirit of the iconoclast (i.e., the child). Its hero, ironically, is anything but a rule-breaker. Set in a world built entirely of Legos, the story revolves around construction worker Emmet Brickowski (voice of Chris Pratt), a tiny plastic Everyman who loves nothing better than following instructions. But when his Lego universe is threatened by an evil villain (Will Ferrell) who intends to glue all the world’s pieces — and its people — together, Emmet must join forces with a group of rebels to stop him. Guided by a leader who’s part Gandalf and part Morpheus (Morgan Freeman), this underground resistance movement consists of a fittingly motley crew: a punk-ish loner named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks); her egotistical boyfriend, Batman (Will Arnett); a well-worn Lego spaceman figure from the mid-1980s (Charlie Day); and a robot-pirate hybrid named Metal Beard (Nick Offerman). The rest of the freedom fighters are a cheeky mix of Lego-sized historical personages (Abraham Lincoln, Shakespeare and Shaquille O’Neil) and co-branded comic book heroes (Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman and others). PG. 1 hour, 34 minutes. 3.5 stars
“LONE SURVIVOR” — Peter Berg probably just couldn’t help himself. The writer-director of “Lone Survivor,” a not-all-it-could-have-been dramatization of a U.S. Navy SEALs operation in Afghanistan, has taken a compelling real-life story and seasoned it with the predictable Hollywood trappings of overly dramatic deaths, slow-motion camera work and fictional moments that ring false. Fortunately, though, the story remains engrossing and intense enough, and the performances from star Mark Wahlberg and the supporting players help make “Lone Survivor” worth experiencing. The events embellished in “Lone Survivor” certainly were an experience for SEAL Marcus Luttrell, author of the 2007 book “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10.” Given the title, it shouldn’t be much of a spoiler to say that Luttrell was the only survivor from a four-man team charged in 2005 with assassinating militia leader Ahmad Shah in the Hindu Kush mountains of the Afghanistan province of Kunar. We spend time with Marcus and other SEALs shortly before the mission to get a feel for the camaraderie that exists among the men. We meet the other members of the team — Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch) and Matt “Axe” Axelson (Ben Foster) — and their commander, Erik Kristensen (Eric Bana). These early scenes, in which the men give each other a hard time and initiate a newer SEAL, feel authentic and help you relate to these guys who have endured stresses to their bodies and minds the likes of which you never will. After they are dropped off by helicopter, Mike, the team leader, Marcus, Axe and Danny hike for hours to arrive on a mountain side that gives them a long-range view of Shaw (Yousuf Axami), whom, they decide, is too far to be shot with a sniper’s rifle. The mission goes bad when, during a period of rest, they encounter three shepherds, including a boy. The SEALs detain the locals and argue about whether they are involved in military operations — one carries a walkie-talkie — and what to do about them. The choices, as Mike lays them out, are to let them go, abandon the mission and hike away from the area as fast as they are able; to do the same but leave the three tied up, which could mean death for them; or to kill them and proceed with the mission. There is heated disagreement among the four. Marcus is firmly against killing them, which would be an egregious violation of the rules of engagement and, obviously morally questionable. It’s fair to say the choice made by Mike leads to the conflict to come. The film’s centerpiece is the involved gunfight between the SEALs and the militia that outnumber them greatly. The fight illustrates the best and worst qualities of “Lone Survivor.” On the one hand, it is a gripping, tense situation, and at times you feel you are right there with Marcus and the others. But Berg overdoes it with overly shaky camera work and unnecessary slow-mo moments. The best war movies make you feel you are right there in the thick of the fight, but this approach only serves to remind you that you are watching a movie and munching on popcorn. R. 2 hours, 1 minute. 2.5 stars
“THE MONUMENTS MEN” — It has all the necessary ingredients to be a memorable movie experience. Interesting story? Check. Fantastic cast chock full of well-known and talented actors? Check. Oscar-nominated director? Check. And yet “The Monuments Men” — a fact-based dramedy about a group of men charged by the U.S. Army to recover great works of art stolen by the Nazis during World War II starring and directed by George Clooney — sort of spins its wheels for about two hours. It’s a pleasant-enough spinning of wheels — and along with Clooney we’re treated to pal Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and other wonderful folks — but it likely won’t prove all that memorable. Based on Robert M. Edsel’s book “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History,” the film has Clooney playing Frank Stokes, an art expert who pitches the idea of recruiting other men in his field to go through basic training and then trudge through European sites where it is believed paintings, sculptures and other works have been stashed by German forces. In Europe, Frank leads most of the men, who also include Richard Campbell (Murray), Brit Donald Jeffries (Hugh Bonneville of “Downton Abbey”), Preston Savitz (Bob Balaban) Walter Garfield (John Goodman) and Frenchman Jean Dujardin (Jean Claude Clermont of “The Artist”) through a few areas, while James head to Paris. There, he meets up with Claire Simone (Blanchett), a curator at the Jeu de Paume who was appearing to help the Nazis at the museum while in fact trying to undermine them whenever possible. Claire is slow to trust James, suspecting that he — or at least the Americans in general — want the art for themselves and don’t plan to return it to the rightful owners as he claims. Their interactions are the fuel for some of the movie’s better scenes. The Monuments Men go about their work, recovering lots of pieces in the process. As adapted by Clooney and Grant Heslov, the story focuses on efforts to recover two major pieces, Michelangelo’s “Madonna of Bruges” marble sculpture and the “Ghent Altarpiece,” an elaborate 15th-century painting composed of 12 panels. Unfortunately, these hunts simply don’t give “The Monuments Men” the needed narrative push. Of course, we highly suspect they’ll find them, but, even if they don’t we feel the world will go on — despite the film’s myriad attempts to drill the importance of protecting and preserving art and culture in our heads. (That is important, of course, but the movie doesn’t really do anything but tell us again and again just how important.) PG-13. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes. 2.5 stars
“POMPEII” — The movie has a killer ending. Billowing clouds of ash swallow the ancient Roman town and fireballs rain down from above; whole city blocks slide into the sea and a tsunami tears through the streets, leveling everything in its path. When Mount Vesuvius erupts, the movie is completely absorbing. You just have to sit through more than an hour of derivative plot and tired dialogue to get there. The similarities between “Gladiator” and “Pompeii” are hard to overstate. In both cases you have a warrior who’s enslaved after his family is murdered. In both cases he turns out to have an exceptional talent for killing people, he befriends an African gladiator and he falls in love with a woman leagues above his social standing. But only in “Pompeii” does the protagonist talk to horses. Milo is the last member of a Celtic tribe of equestrians who are massacred by Roman soldiers led by Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland) and his right-hand man Proculus (Sasha Roiz). Milo manages to escape his parents’ fate at age 6, but he’s scooped up, enslaved and, years later, becomes a killing machine who can enter an arena unarmed and take out three sword-wielding opponents. Milo (Kit Harington from “Game of Thrones”) could be a star if he weren’t stuck in provincial Londinium. And so he’s sent to Pompeii. Along the way he meets Cassia (Emily Browning), the daughter of a powerful politician, and notices that the two people he’d most like to kill — Corvus and Proculus — also happen to be in town. To make matters worse, Corvus has his eye on Cassia. Most of the movie is taken up by scene after scene of gladiatorial games, but when Milo isn’t fighting, he’s sharing passionate looks with Cassia and steely glares with Corvus. None of this really matters once the ground begins to shake and Vesuvius wakes from its slumber. Then the movie transitions from a “Gladiator” clone to a less successful Roland Emmerich catastrophe pic. Say what you will about the man behind “White House Down” and “Independence Day,” but the character developments in those movies look pretty good compared to the scant dialogue and simplistic personalities in Milo’s world. PG-13. 1 hour, 45 minutes. 1.5 stars
“RIDE ALONG” — Stepping into the role of rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube’s sidekick in this buddy-cop farce, Hart had a lot to live up to. Cube (real name O’Shea Jackson) and Chris Tucker were classic quipsters in the 1995 pot-comedy “Friday” that started it all. The formula is always the same: Cube, who is level-headed for the most part, gets into trouble with his ridiculous sidekick. “Ride Along” is no different, and that’s OK. It’s a blueprint we’ve come to rely on for nearly 20 years. With roots in stand-up, Hart continues to make a successful transition from stage to screen, with three films released in the past year and five scheduled through 2015. In “Ride Along,” Hart’s rapid banter comes off naturally, as if he’s always improvising. Cube’s no-nonsense approach, punctuated by his steady straight-face, offers an ideal contrast. Ben (Hart), who has just been accepted into the Atlanta police academy, is ready to ask girlfriend Angela (Tika Sumpter) to marry him. But first, he’s determined to get the approval of her older brother, James (Cube), an Atlanta police officer. But at 5 feet, 4 inches tall, Ben is far from James’ biggest fan. He’d pictured his sister with a brawny athlete, “not the mascot,” he says. To prove he’s worthy of asking for Angela’s hand, Ben must accompany James on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta. Though primarily a flunky in any physical task — he can’t even shoot a shotgun without its recoil hurling him backward — Ben uncovers a number of clues throughout the day, helping James with his hunt for the ruthless and allusive Atlanta kingpin Omar. This predictable “Training Day”-goes-slapstick romp, directed by Tim Story (“Think Like a Man”), is far from innovative and reaches an “oh, lord” level when Cube says a few of his signature lyrics, including “Today was a good day” from his 1992 album “The Predator.” But since the whole film is full of camp — down to James’ black muscle car and the police captain who won’t get off his back — moments like these don’t feel out of place and Cube and Hart are a welcomed new pair. PG-13. 1 hour, 40 minutes.
“ROBOCOP” — Squinting at it from 2014, you might remember 1987’s “RoboCop” as just another cheesy sci-fi action flick featuring a hero in a goofy-looking metal suit. Yet the Paul Verhoeven-directed hit set in near-future Detroit was generally well-reviewed, critics lauding it for its general smarts, exploration of some complex themes and satire of modern times. And while a character does utter the word “drones” near the end of shiny new remake of “RoboCop,” suggesting that we look back at its events and examine them with a bit more scrutiny, the fairly bombastic action movie is more shoot-’em-up sizzle than substantive steak. Like its predecessor, the new “RoboCop” has a Detroit cop named Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman of AMC’s “The Killing”) gaining a second life of sorts as a man-machine hybrid after an attempt on his life. (Unlike with the first film, Alex doesn’t die but is instead left with a severed spine, intense burns and likely sight and hearing loss.) Alex’s wife, Clara (Abbie Cornish), reluctantly signs the rights to what’s left of her unconscious husband’s body over to OmniCorp, the world leader in robot technology in 2028. Run by CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), the company has supposedly peace-keeping robots in other countries, but the United States remains largely wary of turning over its streets to these war machines. Sellars believes America will embrace a robotic cop if it has a person’s ability to feel things inside, and Alex becomes the best candidate for the project. However, compromises were made by the father of this technology, OmniCorp researcher Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman), to get Alex to the point where he was as effective as a pure cyborg. Those compromises, influenced by Norton’s increasingly bullying boss, lead to Alex losing a sense of who he really is and potentially putting more lives in danger. Under the uneven direction of Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha, who has a couple of documentary and fictional films to his credit, “RoboCop” starts out with promise but slowly loses its way by about the halfway point. Sellars starts out a driven-CEO type, although he refreshingly doesn’t seem like a win-at-all-costs guy. But — spoiler alert — by the movie’s end he is a raging homicidal maniac. Norton, on the other hand, is one of the few characters who remains somewhat interesting throughout the affair. In the more than capable hands of Oldman (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), he never becomes a caricature. Not surprisingly, the scenes shared by Oldman and fellow veteran actor Keaton are among the best in “RoboCop.” And what of Kinnaman, who’s so intriguing as Det. Stephen Holder on “The Killing”? As Alex, he starts off as a watered-down, far less interesting version of Holder and then is largely hampered by having to wear the whole RoboCop getup, which goes from the familiar silver to black along the way. Kinnaman does what he can with the role, though, to continue to suggest he’s an actor to watch. PG-13. 1 hour, 58 minutes. 2 stars
“THAT AWKWARD MOMENT” — Despite one charmer of a performance and one particularly hilarious party scene, “That Awkward Moment” is forgettable, a so-so time-filler you’d discover on late-night cable and later have a dickens of a time remembering the title, even the next day. The Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller comedy manages to distinguish itself by taking the well-traveled rom-com out for some off-road riding. Instead of focusing on the hookups and hang-ups of women — the usual offerings in this genre — “Awkward” focuses on the dating predicaments of a trio of New York guys in their 20s. Sounds like the flip side to HBO’s “Girls”? Not a chance. Despite being a little raunchy, this film plays it too safe. What buoys “Awkward” are the performances of two of its rising stars, “Fruitvale Station’s” Jordan — who gives the film its heart and steals every scene he’s in — and “The Spectacular Now’s” Teller, who earns decent laughs. They’re better than the hit-and-miss script, especially the charismatic Jordan. The same can’t be said of Efron, who pulls off a few comic moments, but still remains so overearnest in the dramatic parts you can’t help but wince. The ultimate failing, though, is the film’s premise, which forces characters to act ridiculously just because of the inane plot device. The belabored contrivance just isn’t credible: that three best buds would make a pact to not take their relationships from casual dating to the next level after one of them (Jordan) finds himself newly single — his wife is having an affair and wants a divorce. Naturally, the stereotypical dudes — studly player Jason (Efron), uncouth funny guy Daniel (Teller) and sensitive sweetheart Mikey (Jordan) — struggle to keep the bet. R. 1 hour, 34 minutes. 2 stars
“3 DAYS TO KILL” -- “3 Days to Kill” offers us a dilemma. Can ex-CIA operative Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) repair his relationship with his estranged teenage daughter, Zoey (Hailee Steinfeld), while maintaining his commitment to his old employer, who has pulled him out of retirement for one last round of targeted killing, extraordinary rendition and enhanced interrogation? That narrative predicament is precisely echoed by the challenges faced by the film’s director, McG. Best known as the director of “Charlie’s Angels” and the producer of numerous TV shows, including “The O.C.” and “Chuck,” the filmmaker born Joseph McGinty Nichol attempts to negotiate a middle path between the loud action thriller that this film’s trailer makes you think you’re buying a ticket to and the sappy drama of father-daughter bonding that the movie really is. Costner, for his part, makes juggling his character’s twin obligations look easy. Ethan rarely breaks a sweat, whether he’s shooting arms dealers or pulling a bunch of would-be rapists off of his daughter in a nightclub men’s room. For McG — who has to convince people to sit through the scenes of Ethan teaching his daughter how to ride a bike or slow dance just to get to the part where he hooks some guy up to jumper cables — the disconnect is more jarring. “3 Days to Kill” feels like two very different movies, neither of which is particularly good. The story gets underway when Ethan, recently retired and diagnosed with terminal cancer, undertakes one final assignment from a mysterious woman named Vivi (Amber Heard), who offers him what she claims is an experimental cure in exchange for his service. The conflict arises when Ethan learns that he must conduct his dirty business, which involves finding and killing an arms dealer (Richard Sammel), while chaperoning Zoey, who has been left in Ethan’s care for three days by his ex-wife (Connie Nielsen). In Ethan’s line of work, a gun is the most effective problem-solving tool. That doesn’t fly when it comes to corralling a slightly rebellious adolescent suffering from a bad hair day. Comedy occurs sporadically, as when Ethan extracts a recipe for spaghetti sauce from a man (Bruno Ricci) whom he is in the middle of torturing, just so Zoey can cook dinner for her boyfriend, Hugh (Jonas Bloquet). When the laughs arise, they’re welcome. But they’re few and far between. PG-13. I hour, 53 minutes. 1.5 stars
“THE WOLF OF WALL STREET” — Considering that it boasts a terrific performance by star Leonardo DiCaprio and the usual, wonderful sense of visual adventure from director Martin Scorsese, it’s a shame that “The Wolf of Wall Street”likely will prove fairly forgettable. The based-in-reality of story of a swindling, hard-partying stock broker is familiar territory — in fact this movie’s subject, Jordan Belfort, is said to have inspired the 2000 movie “Boiler Room” — and the story beats of “The Wolf of Wall Street” more or less parallel those of Scorsese’s 1990 masterpiece “Goodfellas.” And, unfortunately, if you do remember “The Wolf of Wall Street,” it may be because it runs a butt-numbing three hours. “Goodfellas” was about two hours and 25 minutes, and there’s more to the tale of rags-to-riches gangster Henry Hill than there is to rags-to-riches broker Belfort. For the first hour, maybe 90 minutes, “Wolf” is a blast. We watch as Jordan (DiCaprio) works his way up to be a broker at a Wall Street firm, his first day as a big boy falling on the infamous “Black Monday” of 1987, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 500 points. About a month later, the firm where Jordan worked closes shop. Desperate, Jordan turns to a job trading penny stocks in a crummy little strip mall office far from Wall Street. Penny stocks are low-value stocks, but the seller of them makes a 50-percent commission, a fact that blows Jordan’s mind. He employs the tricks he learned in the boiler room of the big-boy firm and starts selling way more than any of his coworkers. From there, it’s lots of financial success for Jordan — he strikes out on his own, taking some of the company’s employees with him as he founds Stratton Oakmont — and lots and lots of debauchery. In fact, that’s mostly what the first third — maybe even half of the movie — is: Jordan and his cohorts making money, doing drugs and having sex. And, admittedly, it’s a ton of fun to watch, but there’s zero substance to it. It’s like a dinner of pure sugar.Jordan’s cohorts include Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), a bit of a loser with odd teeth (Hill wore a fake set) who lives in the same building as Jordan and goes to work for him after Jordan shows him a very large pay stub from moving the penny stocks. Hill is a blast, and he and DiCaprio have a lot of chemistry. Their friendship is one of the backbones of the movie; if we care about anything — and we may not — it’s that. R. 3 hours. 2.5 stars